Faces
by Director DiNozzo
Summary: Oh, he knew that his name is NCIS Special Agent Anthony Darren DiNozzo Junior– but who is he?  Another insight into the mind and life of the Senior Field Agent - Takes places after Enemies Domestic. Will include False Witness and the Christmas break.
1. Enemies Domestic

A/N: I don't own anything except the grammar and spelling mistakes (don't have a BETA yet – please PM if you are interested) and I haven't actually watched the recent episodes, so I apologize in advance if anything doesn't quite fit. English is not my first language so please bear with me. Thanks. This takes place right after Enemies Domestic and will follow up with False Witness and the Christmas break.

**Faces**

Anthony DiNozzo sighed and squinted slightly at the bright light illuminating his kitchen.  
Throwing his badge, ID, wallet and keys into the bowl on the counter he trudged into the hallway to take off his shoes and coat and put them in the closet.

Rolling his tense shoulders he scuffled back to the kitchen to raid his fridge for something to eat.  
He thought about his long day of petty crimes, paperwork and MTAC calls– the usual holiday work - as he started fixing himself some pasta.

At least it was pretty quiet in the office with just the skeleton crew working on Thanksgiving and he managed to score points with Vance for his last minute offer to take over for Balboa.

As the most senior member of the crew Vance even named him acting team leader and Agent in charge.  
Well that – and his life looked seemed back to somewhat '_customary' _with him workingholidays again, his father putting work or a woman or both before him and his team overlooking him.

He did casually mention Thanksgiving slash a small house warming dinner sometime ago. It was perfect timing when he finished moving and unpacking last week. He even invited his father, when he dropped by two weeks ago.  
Maybe he should have sent them cards or maybe it didn't matter anyway.

After the Israelis were safely put on their plane they went to Bethesda to collect their praises and the rest of the week off from Vance.  
The moment they returned to the office, Ziva roped Abby into checking for a flight to Miami, McGee called his sister and parents to tell them he will be home for Thanksgiving and Gibbs made plans to meet up with Jack,  
Palmer slipped out to meet with Breena, Ducky gushed that he can finally visit his nephew in Boston, Abby cheered that she and Ziva share part of their travel to their stopover in Memphis  
and he listened to his father telling his voicemail that he'll have to reschedule as he needs to head to Madrid.

Within an hour Tony sat alone in the bullpen filing his reports and forecasts, his mood worse than ever.  
He was about to leave when Mike Balboa nearly threw him to the ground as he rushed from the elevator into the bullpen.

"Sorry Tony!" the Agent called out as he rushed over to his desk and started searching.

"Whoa Mike, where's the fire?" he asked as he stepped up to the partition.

"Bethesda, Lorie went into labor. I have to get my camera. Laura will kill me, otherwise. Well, she'll kill me anyway once she hears that I am Agent in Charge for the holiday and this way I get at least photographic evidence of my first grandchild." Mike told him while nearly disappearing in his desk drawer.

"You know, I'm actually off now and as some people rained on my parade I have actually no plans – so if you get the Director to agree I'll be your knight in shining amour." Tony offered on a whim.

"You would actually do that?" was the incredulous question and Balboa stopped his search to stare at DiNozzo.

"Sure. I've got nothing better to do anyway and I can record the game and watch it later."

"You know that I could kiss you right now, right?" Mike asked as he found the camera and slowly closed the drawer.

"Hold your horses; we still need the Director's approval."

So Tony was back on his way to Bethesda for the fifth time today, this time driving the anxious Mike fast, but carefully to his family. They had Vance convinced within moments,  
Balboa vouching for him and Tony assuring him that he knew the Agents and promising to update the Director daily. Balboa handed him the keys to his charger and Tony finally made his way home.

Wednesday was a slow day for him and Balboa's team and Thursday equally manageable with a few petty crimes, paperwork and MTAC.

Spending the rest of the evening parked in front of the TV with a few non-alcoholic beers, Tony headed off to bed at a reasonable time, but not before locking up and wandering around his new home.  
Feeling accomplished for the work and detail he put into it.

* * *

The next few days were quite uneventful, except for finding out about Brenda's suicide attempt.

That threw him off his pattern and made him ponder his way of life and his regrets. He was finally accepting his needs, wants and dreams, but Brenda wrapping her car around a pole made him step back and revaluate.

He did dream of a family the wife, the kids and the dog. He went a step further with buying this former run down house and fixing it up himself by putting weeks of manual labor in planning, renovating and decorating.

He started communicating with his father again and didn't fall back into his flavor of the week style he had before going undercover for Jenny. He was terrified what an impact his need for real physical contact had made.  
Maybe he was getting old – too old for his dream of a family of his own – and was destined to stay single.

Right now, his want, his need and his dream was on another page, well better yet in another book or more accurately in another state.  
He wasted too many opportunities and now he was cursed with watching everyone move on, while he stayed in the same place – alone.

He made a few small steps forward with his house and another with Vance finally warming up to him, him giving up alcohol except in company, eating healthier and extending his daily run.  
At the same time he made large steps back, one with his father, one with his one-night-stand turning suicidal, another with his masks failing, it became harder and harder to pretend to be happy and easygoing when he was not.  
Was this the beginning of his midlife crisis?  
Was he supposed to party more, be more juvenile and get a new car, when all he wanted was someone to share his life with?  
Someone to come home to and to love and cherish him for who he is?

The only problem he had now – who was he really?

Oh he knew that his name is NCIS Special Agent Anthony Darren DiNozzo Junior– but who is he?

Is he Junior, the failure, the stuttering, abrasive, attention seeking good for nothing kid, that escaped reality and hung unto movies?

Is he Tony, the never serious, movie quoting, juvenile frat boy slash clown?

Or is he maybe Anthony, the forgotten, rational, cultured, honest, man with a striving for justice and a wish for love, family and happiness?

Is he DiNozzo, the pervert who'll chat up anything with a pulse, who constantly thinks of sex and is a general bastard to his co-workers, constantly putting others in place and imagines his dead partner naked?

Or is he Special Agent DiNozzo, the hardworking Senior Field Agent without a life out of office, who needs his work as he doesn't know what else to do with his free time.


	2. False Witness

A/N: I still don't own anything concerning NCIS except the DVDs. Thanks to nikita6725 for leaving a review!

**Faces**

After poking the small fire in the fireplace, Tony slumped down in his squishy leather arm chair, crossed his feet on the ottoman in front of it and raised a slice of pizza to his mouth. Staring at the slice of his favorite pizza for a few seconds he threw it forcefully back into the box with a snarl – his hunger gone.

Ever since learning of Brenda Bittner's fate two weeks ago he has been contemplating his way of life. Was he responsible for it? Did their one night stand set her off? He didn't want more than that and he did make that perfectly clear before going out with her.

He is not responsible for her feelings – so why was he off his game?

Maybe the problem was that he did not see it coming and the reason for that was easy – if he allowed himself to see it eye to eye.

He had always made sure to separate work and private life. At work he was confronted day after day with human brutality, he was constantly profiling people, looking for secrets and thinking the worst about them – being suspicious was his damn job.

When he dated it always stayed shallow. He dated by looks – never by personality. The moment dates stopped being shallow was the moment he broke it off with said person.

As a rule – DiNozzo's rule number two to be exact – he never took dates home. Either he went to her place or they took a room, but never in his own home - never in his own bed. And no – contrary what other people might suspect the rule isn't "don't take your date home!" but "watch out who you trust with personal and sensible information". That was something he learned in Peoria, when a Detective was robbed and stabbed by a junkie in his own home, after taking her home for a night of fun.

Then fun was short-lived however and the result of it was as critically injured Detective, a cop shot with the Detectives Glock while stopping a stolen car and said junkie overdosed and ended up with the car wrapped around a stone pillar. Two dead, one injured for a night of fun, that was over before it even started.

As a Federal Agent he didn't need hundred of girls knowing his address. There were reasons for his post box, a blocked number and no entry in the phone directory or why he bought an apartment after two years in DC and now invested in his house. Security for one and having real estate meant no land lord, too.

He had his different personalities, one for work and one for dates. Both of them are 'him' – he just chose to enhance certain qualities, the clown for work and the Casanova for dates.

He thought that at least the team saw him as Anthony 'Tony' D. DiNozzo, but after his talk with Ziva today he wasn't so sure anymore. Asking her who he was, she presented him with an answer that cut quite deep - just as deep when they excluded him from dinner years ago. Telling him he needed to find balance and that he was the clown and they loved him. Instead of loving him they loved the clown – the mask, the shallow womanizer. He thought they knew it was a cover – that he was a hardworking, reliable Agent and actually had real emotions.

It nearly ripped him apart that Ziva – his partner – didn't see him for real or knew better. She should be the one to know him. He spent so much time with her when Gibbs was in Mexico; she spent so much time undercover with him, time traveling for cases – Paris.

McGee – his brother, his Probie – saw him as nothing more than a movie buff. Of course he made jokes and tried to lighten the mood in the office, but not to be disrespectful. He did it to distract from the horrors they saw every day.

He told Ziva that he wasn't responsible for their feelings – just as no one is for his. He chose to show his mask and now he had to live with the aftermath – just as he was living with it right now.

Call it whatever you want – midlife crisis, midlife crazy, a change in personality or a change of role in his work persona. He was sick and tired of being the clown and being put down again and again. He wanted to be himself and that was what he has been trying to do the last few days. Be himself – and has he wasn't happy right now, he saw no reason to run a round and smile from ear to ear.

He was hurt by Ziva and McGee and he masked it with his prank to send them off for Christmas. He knew that Ziva will spend her time off with Mr. Miami and he was sad that she was lying to him while actually looking him in the face. Well, she didn't state the whole truth at least. She told him she's skiing, just leaving out who'll be with her.

Abby was constantly siding with his father, gushing around him when he visited and scolding Tony for being hard to him. Isn't it lovely when your father only shows up for cases and never to visit his only son without ulterior motives?

Squishing all other thoughts he made a new year's resolution instead. He decided to be more himself and reducing the masks at work. After all he lived for himself and not for others. He was a damn good Agent and it was time for McGee and Ziva to respect that.

He was responsible for his own feelings and that's why he chose to work over the holidays. For one to get back into the game and to be himself at work without the others present at first and the second reason, he didn't want to give his father another chance at disappointing him and letting him down for Christmas. He had enough of that as a child and again contrary to popular belief he had emotions – deep ones at that. Another reason was the long standing tradition that those without family or not celebrating Christmas would take the holiday duty and he would live by that until he had a reason to take the time off. He was sad, that they didn't even ask about his plans. He knew about theirs even inquired about them seriously, but never did they ask in return.

Tony stretched out in his armchair and gulped down the last of his beer, before cleaning up, stuffing the pizza into the fridge, locking up and changing for bed.

Fifteen minutes later, he lay in the middle of his bed, arms crossed behind his head, staring at the ceiling and prepared himself for the next three weeks. Senior Field Agent DiNozzo took the backseat – Team-leader DiNozzo was back.


	3. Two days before Christmas

**A/N: Disclaimer see chapter one… Thanks to ncislover1111, Mc7ism, nikita6725, olympianchef213 for reviewing. As you can see, this is another chapter of Tony's thoughts but we'll finally enter the dialogue stage and see Special Agent DiNozzo in charge. I guess it is AU since last Thursday.**

**Faces**

Tony kept busy the next few days. He finished up the paperwork for the MCRT, filing all the papers, calculating this year's budget, preparing the requisitions for next quarter, updating the vacation overview, preparing the employee assessments for Ziva and McGee and making sure that the evidence log was up to par.

This way team Gibbs could start with a clean sheet next year – save for any mayor catastrophes that needed all Agents on deck. He fielded all the MTAC calls, as the second team leader – Christa Maloney had no patience for them at all – there was a reason why she was a team leader for the petty crimes, and a damn good one at that. She wasn't into politics and terrorism threats. Instead she was a feared force in the Navy.

Being a fifty year old widow with three kids all well over 18, she was a force to reckon with. She was his predecessor on the Reagan, and damn, were the kids afraid of her and in retrospect him. He was there for a month, while Christa took a three week holiday and within the first three days she taught him the tricks to be Agent Afloat. Without her and her help he would have drowned helplessly.

They stayed in contact and she took him under her wing after the Jenny disaster and pulled him out of a hole after their trip to Israel. She was strict but a good soul and her motherly instincts were right what he needed.

So they maintained a nice co-worker relationship and with her kids off to college and university they helped each other squelching their loneliness in a pure non-romantic way. He helped her with her car and small repairs around the house and she accompanied him to classical concerts or the one or other game.

So while he, as Agent in charge, took care of the red-tape, Christa made sure that everyone was happy and up to date with everything else. With seven Agents and one stand-in forensic scientist as well as a techie, both of them ensured to that all work was done before noon. Afterwards they started training exercises in different work-related matter such as new programs, logic leaping or just quality team work, such as playing scrabble, clue or watching movies on the MTAC screen.

Today - two days before Christmas his father called him and asked about his plans and for the first time in the DiNozzo family history Junior blew off Senior. His father mentioned that he was free over Christmas and Tony's only reply was that he had to work and after exchanged pleasantries the call was over.

Of course did Tony have the wish to spend Christmas with his dad, but after years of being put second and being put off time after time he was weary of putting his heart out. That didn't stop his childish hope to spend Christmas with his dad; just like they did more than thirty years ago and he felt still loved and cherished by his parents.

That was why he watched "It's a Wonderful Life" year after year, why he had every ingredient for to freshly prepare the traditional DiNozzo dinner from scratch since he lived on his own - rocket salad with tomato, fresh white mushrooms and pine nuts and bruschetta as a appetizer, lasagna as a main dish and fresh tiramisu a dessert. For the last twenty years he bought and cooked enough for three, and year after year he cooked and ate alone.

If they didn't have a case he visited midnight mass in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, standing in the shadows hidden next a stone pillar. After the breaking of the bread and over an hour remembering his mother, Kate, Paula and Jenny and contemplating the past and his future - each and every year silent tears made their way down his face after the lights dimmed and over a hundred people joined together and sang 'Holy Night, Silent Night'.

He remembered the past – when they spent Christmas in New York or the manor. When his father and his mother played the piano together, with him sitting on his father's lap and they sang that same song right before watching their movie.

Eight eves of his parents cuddling with him on the couch, eight eves of his parents telling him that they loved him, eight eves of being loved unconditionally and after thirty years he still waited and hoped for a repeat – even if it will never be the same.

Tony shook his head to get rid his sad musings, but not before wishing that his dead ignored that he blew him of with work and still chose him for Christmas and drop by for a – non work related visit.

Checking his watch he bounded up the steps to MTAC – the Agents afloat on the Reagan, Lincoln, Seahawk and Washington were scheduled for their weekly report. Tony's job was to listen to their reports and evaluate if there's anything the Director needs to be informed for. He wished the four a Merry Christmas and went back to his desk. Making sure that the Director had all the facts and was up to date and had all the reasons from his side, he wrote the news he received in his data sheet with all the MTAC calls he fielded.

Fifteen minutes later he rushed up to MTAC again, when the Techie informed him of an emergency call from the USS Iwo Jima. Agent Matthews reported that as of yesterday evening nearly a third of the crew reported in sickbay with different symptoms, such as constant upchucking, shortness of breath, diarrhea, fever and chill. It started quite sudden and no obvious reason was transparent.

The ship was supposed to dock in Norfolk on Christmas Eve, with a three week shore leave. With a possible bio-attack on his hands, Tony ordered Matthews to get him Captain Reed on a secure channel ASAP, before rushed out of MTAC, the Techie close behind.

Standing on the Mezzanine, he let out a sharp whistle and every head flew up to look at him. Tony took a deep breath before sprouting out orders.

"Alright everyone, we've got a code red – possible bio attack on the USS Iwo Jima – nearly a third of them came down with the following symptoms in the last 14 to 16 hours - constant upchucking, shortness of breath, diarrhea, fever and chill. This situation is a matter of national security and highly confidential." he could see them gulping.


	4. Two days before Christmas 2

**A/N: Disclaimer see chapter one… Thanks to ncislover1111, mamamia1964, poppaeasabina, katesari and Migalouch for reviewing. I'm sorry fort he delay!**

**Faces**

"Alright everyone, we've got a code red – possible bio attack on the USS Iwo Jima – nearly a third of them came down with the following symptoms in the last 14 to 16 hours - constant upchucking, shortness of breath, diarrhea, fever and chill. This situation is a matter of national security and highly confidential." he could see them gulping.

"Tom," Tony ordered, looking at Christa's Senior Field Agent "-head down to the lab and inform Jeff to prepare the labs – he'll be swamped by samples within hours. Then you will call every lab tech we have and see if they are in close range – forget about Sciuto and Schmidt, they are too far off – then you get Bethesda on the line and inform them that we have a code red and possibly need a quarantine – get me the docs responsible for that triage unit here ASAP." The tall blond Agent nodded and rushed to the stairs.

"Christa, Frank, the two of you will write a program calculating a statistic, accessible by palm pilots, including every necessary question to the sick crew members to get to the source of this sickness. From when, where and what they ate last, down to any possible injury from a paper cut to flatulence and what their symptoms are. Get me a time frame and make one extra for the kitchen crew – if it came from them we might have a source as the crews are not eating their own cooking's." His geeky probie nodded and Christa grabbed a note pad and started writing down questions.

"Sam, retrace the ships route. Where did they dock, had shore leave, got loaded up with food and so on." nodding sharply the young Agent went to work.

"Drew, turn the bullpen into our own triage unit – get flipcharts, screens and whatever else to make all information accessible."

"Jayson, you are my eyes and ears down here for now and keep track of the orders I just made – put them up on screen and add new orders and tick them off if they are done. Get me something to access that screen." Jayson nodded and started preparing for his job.

"I'll be in MTAC. Jake," he told the Techie, as they stepped into MTAC "after I talk to Reed you get me every Agent Afloat on the line."

Without waiting for a reply Tony snapped his phone open and looked through his contacts. Finding the right number he dialed. Once the phone was answered he cut straight to the point.

"Peter, this is Tony. Call your team and prepare for standby. We got a big one and you are next in line."

"On it." with that the call ended.

Tony was about to call the Director, but before he could even press a key he was interrupted by Jake, "Agent DiNozzo, Captain Reed is on the line."

"Put him up." ordered Tony, donning a headset. Within seconds the picture of a harried looking, middle aged Captain, sitting behind his desk appeared. Leaning against the sideboard behind him was Agent Matthews.

"Good afternoon, Captain." greeted Tony cordially "I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Agent in Charge at NCIS in DC."

"Afternoon, Agent DiNozzo. We have regrettably no updates for you."

"Agent Matthews informed me about your crew and let me assure you that we are doing everything possible to clear this up ASAP. What we need you to do now is remain calm and keep your crew calm as well. We have started posing a number of questions that the involved crew members need to answer and we need a blood sample of each. Our labs are prepared for that. Please close down the kitchen for now and keep your crew on sealed snacks and drinks. We know that this isn't ideal, but for now necessary. Also with a possible bio attack and contamination, I cannot allow you to dock in Norfolk or anywhere else. You will need to stay on board until we have eliminated the threat. You may travel no further than 60 nautical miles to the coast and close down all means of outside communication, except the necessary equipment. This situation is a matter of national security and highly confidential. No one leaves or enters the ship without our explicit approval."

"I may not like it Agent DiNozzo, but I understand the necessity."

"Thank you for your corporation. Now I have another favor to ask. Could you support us with a register of each aircraft or load from other ships or harbors setting down on your ship, say for the last six months?"

"Of course, we will do our best to cooperate. I'll have that report prepared ASAP"

"Great! We will transfer the program for questioning ASAP. Agent Matthews, please stay in communication range and take precautions for your health."

"Yes, sir."

"Please keep us informed. We will keep in touch."

Tony waited for the two men to nod before making the cutting motion to Jake.

"Jake, next call the Director."

Tony watched the number dialing on the screen.

"This is Vance." was the groggy reply.

"DiNozzo here." replied Tony all business. "We have a code red as of 1300 hundred today – possible bio attack on the Iwo Jima."

"It is 1320 now – why is there a delay in informing me?" the director asked sounding more alert.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I started the first response orders for the lab and Bethesda to be on high alert, triage doctors to report here, starting the investigation into the cause, retracing the ship and Captain Reed called before I was able to contact you. I told him to shut down communication, come no closer than 60 nautical miles, remain calm and start with the blood samples. Stand by team is informed."

"I see you have been busy. Good work, DiNozzo. Did you inform SecNav."

"Not yet, Sir. You come first in my chain of command."

"Very well. Please inform SecNav and the White House."

"Will do, Director. JAG as well?"

"Yes – please inform the Admiral. It sounds like you have everything under control. I will come to the yard ASAP. Keep me informed if there are any problems." With that the Director cut the communication off.

"Jake, get me a connection to SecNav and the White House."

Tony headed out of MTAC and rushed into the bullpen.

"Sit rep!" he called out.

"Give me another minute with the program please." Frank piped up, his eyes flying rapidly over the screen, double-checking.

Christa handed him the pad with her questions. He flew over the list, pulled a pen from his pocket and scribbled another question down.

"What did you add?" asked Christa

"If they have any family or friends with the same symptoms at home and got any mail recently."

"Good one." agreed Christa.

"Program is done." announced Frank, "Works a bit like doodle and can be connected to the medical records to cross check allergies and the like. The service number must be entered and the answers can be ticked off then. I can send it to the Agent Afloat and he can use his PDA or his iPad to collect the answers. I have a program running in the background and we can investigate from here. To speed it up we can run the program on the electronic data pads the medics use."

"Great work. Prepare everything so we can brief Matthews first thing."

"I am still retracing the ship – got the report from Matthews." Sam piped up and Drew went on "The bullpen is prepared and all systems are connected."

"Good. Help Sam."

"Christa, watch the program."

"Jay?"

"Got the screens connected with that iPad. I will screen through the information and check if anything sticks out."

"Good. The Director is on his way. I will inform all Agents Afloat to give inform us STAT if they have any of the symptoms on board. Then I'll brief SecNav, the White House and JAG. Frank, with me to brief Matthews."

Tony rushed up the stairs, Frank following close behind – laptop clutched in his hands.

15 Minutes later, Matthews was briefed and DiNozzo asked for a heads up from the Chief Hospital Corpsman, so they can confer with Bethesda and possibly evacuate the worst cases.

With that they finished the call.

"Heads-up, DiNozzo. SecNav and White House are online and waiting as of five minutes ago."

Tony squared his shoulders and straightened his tie and overcoat.

"Thanks. Get them on screen."

The screen split in half and Tony could see the annoyed look on SecNavs face on the right side and a pleasant look of the lady on the right.

"Ma'am, Sir. I'm sorry for the delay. I'm Special Agent DiNozzo. We have a code red – a possible biological attack on the USS Iwo Jima."

Before he could get another word out SecNav snarled out, "Where is Vance?"

"He's on his way, Sir. He is still on medical leave and recovering. I am the Agent in Charge right now."

"I don't care who you are – "

"Now Mr. Secretary, if we could keep this on the business side of things? We have a matter of national security and no time for pissing contests." interrupted the now stern and business like, dark haired women. Tony saw SacNav swallow the rest of his sentence.

"Now Agent DiNozzo, please report." she nodded to him.

"Thank you Colonel MacKenzie. We were informed by the Iwo Jima of an highly increasing number of crewmembers seeking out sickbay with the same symptoms - constant upchucking, shortness of breath, diarrhea, fever and chill. The Iwo Jima was supposed to dock in Norfolk in two days. I ordered Captain Reed to shut down all unnecessary communication and to stay at least 60 nautical miles away from the coast. Kitchen is closed down and we are currently investigating all possible sources on the ship as well as off ship. Crew members are questioned and blood samples connected. Bethesda is informed – we are waiting for the docs to arrive to get a status of the ship. Once we can shed some light on that we'll send a helicopter to fetch the samples. Our lab is prepared and Bethesda will be as well to work the samples. We hope it's just a case of food poisoning. Right now we're waiting for more information, but this case is top priority. We are keeping a close eye on terror threats as well."

"Sounds like you covered all the bases. I'll inform the President of the situation. Do you agree, Phillip?"

"Sounds like it's under control. Keep us informed." With that the right side darkened before showing the colored screen.

"We'll keep you in the loop ma'am and inform the JAG"

"I'll be waiting. Good luck."

"Thanks ma'am." With that the connection broke off.

"Well, it does look like you have everything under control." came the voice of Leon Vance from behind. "Good work, DiNozzo."

Tony didn't flinch. He heard the Director enter and take a seat when SecNav asked about him.

"Thank you, Director. Shall I inform JAG next, or do you want to take over?"

"No, that's okay." Vance slowly got up. "You are doing quite well so far. I'll be downstairs and check on the process there." The Director was nearly out of the room when he turned and added, "And DiNozzo, when in a pissing contest with another Agency, or SecNav, or anyone else - remember that you are in charge of NCIS as Agent in Charge. Do not let them undermine you."

"Yes, sir."

Then the door snapped close. Grinning at the Agent in Charge Jake announced, "JAG Office online, Sir. Commander Roberts for you!"

"Thanks." With a nod of his head, the face of the Commander materialized.

"Commander Roberts, it's nice to see you again. I wish the circumstances were better though."

"Agent DiNozzo, nice to see you again. How can I help you today?"

"We have a code red, a possible bio attack on the USS Iwo Jima. Nearly a third of the crew came down with the following symptoms in the last 14 to 16 hours - constant upchucking, shortness of breath, diarrhea, fever and chill. We have started our investigation and wanted to give you heads up. The Iwo Jima was supposed to dock in Norfolk in two days. I ordered the Captain to shut down all unnecessary communication and to stay at least 60 nautical miles away from the coast. The kitchen is closed down and we are currently investigating all possible sources on the ship as well as off ship. The crew is being questioned and blood samples connected right now."

"Damn." murmured Roberts, before straightening up. "I will inform General Cresswell right away and call you back, once he's issued orders."

"Very well, I will see you later Commander." Tony nodded to him and made the cutting motion.

He sank down in one of the chairs and rubbed his face with both hands. Taking a deep breath he nodded to Jake and left MTAC.

Time flew by and Tony later on had no idea how he managed to keep his Agents, two JAG officers, SecNav, two doctors, Vance and the White House at bay and investigate at the same time but the case was solved at 0400 hundred the next morning and whatever JAG did with Seaman Cotter wasn't his problem anymore.

Frank Cotter was the one not washing and disinfecting his hands after using the head and before returning to his duty station, distributing E. coli bacteria for free. Why he didn't work to the guidelines was beyond him and of course everyone makes mistakes, but that one was irresponsible and costs quite a few bucks and stirred up quite a lot people. Tony guessed that the guy's time in the Navy was over.

Leaving messages with SecNav, Colonel MacKenzie and JAG, he headed home for a shower and a short nap before he was needed for debriefing. He texted Vance in the elevator, that they caught the guy and the USS Iwo Jima set course to Norfolk.

Stumbling tiredly into his kitchen, he couldn't stop the broad smile on his face. Of course he felt bad for the crew, but he damn well kicked ass today. Grinning like a loon, he got ready for his two hour nap and immediately fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.


End file.
